Direction-signal for motor-vehicles.



V. RJWILL.

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I, 1911.

1,280,925. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

I1\' VEN TOR.

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ATTORNEX VICTOR R. WILL, 0F SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

. nmnorron-srennr. non MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. s, 1918.

Application filed October 1, 1917. Serial No. 194,131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR R. WILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Signals for Motor-Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charac ters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signals for use on motor vehicles to indicate when the driver of the vehicle is about to turn the same or to come to a stop. Traffic, especially in large cities, is becoming more and more congested, and very many accidents are occurring due to the lack of signaling facilities to indicate the movements of the vehicles. Ordinances have been enacted, requiring the extension of the hand when the vehicle is about to turn or stop, but this at its best is a very poor method andin closed cars is an impossibility. I aim therefore, to produce a signal of simple construction located at or near the drivers seat and which can, by simple movement of the hand, be extended or retracted. When extended, the air currents which are constantly present when the vehicle is moving, will revolve the signal, which can be of a bright color or colors. For night driving, I provide a flash light efiect, which causes the signal to be even more discernible at night than in the day time.

The advantages of this will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceeding efiective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the signal showmg also a dotted outline of a portion of the vehicle to indicate the position of the signal thereon.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic outline of the electrical wiring connected with the signal.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the signal partly broken out and in section to show the electrical wiring therein.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a slotted guide plate of any suitable material fastened to the vehicle at any desired point, but preferably at the base of the windshield and in front of the drivers seat. This guide terminates in an inclosed hood or box 2 on the back face of which is a mirror 3. Slidable within the gulde 1 and projecting into the box 2 is the signal arm 1 which has a small operating handle 5 at its inner end. In the outer end of the arm 1 is journaled a revolving pin 6. On one end of the pin 6 are a pair of blades 7 bent slightly at an angle to the direction of travel of the vehicle. On the opposite end of the pin 6 are a pair of blades 8 which are interposed substantially in alinement with the space between the blades 7. Interposed on the arm 1 between the blades 7 and 8 is an electric lamp 9. One wire 10 leads from this lamp to the ground at any suitable point, the other wire 10 from such lamp extends through the arm 4 and connects with a switch blade 12, which, when the signal is extended, contacts with another switch blade 13 mounted on the guide 1. From this blade 13 a wire 14 leads to a switch 11 which may be connected with either a stationary battery 15 or with a magneto 16 by means of wires 17 or 18, respectively. Said battery and said magneto are, of course, mounted in the usual manner.

In practice in the day time the switch 11 is positioned so as to leave an open circuit from either the magneto or the battery. When the operator is about to turn or stop he grasps the operating handle 5 and proj ects the arm 4; which carries the signal 78 out of the box 2 into view of the trafiic in front or behind. The air currents occasioned by the movement of the vehicle act against the blades 7 8 to revolve the signal, this being made of bright material. This revolving action quickly directs the attention of the traflic on the street which can then take care not to collide with the vehicle. When not in use the signal is retracted into the box 2. The mirror 3 aids the operator of the vehicle in determining the necessity of extending the signal.

At night the switch 11 is closed to connect either the battery 15 or magneto 16 with the lamp circuit. Thus when the arm 4 is extended, the switch blade 12 comes incontact Then as the signal 78 revolves, the blades, 7 and 8 alternately vmove in front of and away from the lamp, causing it to give a flashing light which is readily discernible to thetraflic.

From the foregoing description-it will be readily seen that l have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the object of the invention as set forth herein. I

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described myinvention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A signal for motor vehicles comprising a slotted guide terminating in an inclosed member, an arm slidable in the guide, a signal member on the arm, said signal member Copies of this patent may'be'obtained for comprising a set of revolving blades adapted to be actuated by the air currents occasioned by the forward movement of the vehicle and a lamp, interposed between the blades and adapted to be lighted when the signal is projeoted whereby the revolving blades will cause the light from the lamp to throw off intermittent flashes.

2. A direction signal for motor vehicles providing an arm arrangedtobe projected fromthe vehicle, a revolving pin on the outer end of the arm, a pair of blades fiXed at each end of the pin, those blades at one end being the others. v

' 3. A directionsignalfor "motor vehicles providing an arm arranged to be projected from the vehicle, a revolving pin on the set at rightangles with respect to I r Y a 40 outer end of the arm,'-a pair of-blades fixed at each end of the pin, those blades at one end being set at rightangles with the others, a lamp interposed on thearm between the blades.

" In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. I

VICTOR R. WILL.

five cents each, by, addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

